Communication Studies

Zoe Freedkin, director of the Kleinau Theater show Left on Read, joins Justin this week to discuss the recent production from genesis of idea through post-production reflections. Left on Read is Freedkin's look at modern dating and how dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble have affected the way we affectionately communicate with one another. Zoe Freedkin is a graduate student in the SIU School of Communication Studies.

SIU School of Communication Studies first year doctoral students Alicia Utecht, India Hagen-Gates, and Carli Alvarez join Justin Young to talk about their first year as PhD students. The group discuss what brought them to SIU, culture shock, research interests, adapting to teaching, advice for future students, and more!

Shelby Swafford and Dr. Craig Gingrich-Philbrook, co-directors of the Kleinau Theater show Reproductions: A Kleinau Theatre Archive Project, join Justin this week to discuss the recent production from genesis of idea through post-production reflections. Reproductions is Swafford's guided tour through the Kleinau's archives and meditation on the idea of home and place. Shelby Swafford is a graduate student in the SIU School of Communication Studies, while Dr. Craig Gingrich-Philbrook is a faculty member.

University of Alabama Holle Endowed Chair of Communication Arts Dr. Robin Boylorn and Co-founder and Managing Partner of The Center for Advocating Innovative Policy Eesha Pandit join Justin this week to talk about presenting the keynote at the 2022 SIU Conference on Women. They talk about being an advocate and ally, the Crunk Feminist Collective, becoming a feminist, the stress of being both highly visible and invisible in the workplace, the lack of attention to missing minorities, and more!

A special presentation of our new podcast, the Saluki Gamescast. In our premiere episode we chat about the big news so far in 2022, including Microsoft buying Activision, Nintendo's big Direct showing, the Steam Deck in the wild, PlayStation Spartacus, Pokemon generation 9, a Twisted Metal series, Street Fighter 6, our favorite Super Marios, and more! This week's crew includes Alicia Utecht, Ryan Freels, O.J. Duncan, and Justin Young.

SIU School of Communication Studies doctoral student Bolton Morales joins Justin to talk organizational communication, leadership development, identity in the workplace, Pete Davidson, the nonverbal cues we overlook, tattoos as trade versus art, professional wrestling, and more! 

SIU School of Communication Studies professor Dr. Nilanjana Bardhan joins Justin this week to talk finding her path to communication studies, intercultural communication, doing PR for the medical field without a medical background, postcolonial studies, Bollywood films, DEI's rapid importance for the corporate world, the value of discovering new identities, and more.

T. Brown and Dr. Craig Gingrich-Philbrook, co-directors of the Kleinau Theater show Naked Stories, join Justin this week to discuss the recent production from genesis of idea through post-production reflections. Naked Stories is Brown's personal story of growing up in the 70s and 80s and coming to terms with his sexuality. T. Brown is a graduate student in the SIU School of Communication Studies, while Dr. Craig Gingrich-Philbrook is a faculty member.

SIU School of Communication Studies doctoral student Alex Lockwood joins Justin to talk environmental communication, ecovillages, performing online in a pandemic, the Loch Ness Monster, Slender Man, conspiracy theories, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as performance art.

SIU School of Communication Studies professor Dr. Rebecca Walker joins Justin this week to talk how to be a better storyteller, the universality of southern fiction, a brief history of feminism, Michael Jackson and roller rinks, performing as a tourist, and the cultural impact of the flash mob.

SIU School of Communication Studies professor Dr. Todd Graham is a lover of comedy, student of politics, CNN contributor, but maybe best known as America's Debate Coach. A four time coach of the year award recipient, Graham led SIU's debate team to the final four nine straight years. He joins Justin to talk navigating humor in speech, college television hijinks, the evolution of competitive debate, and where he sees the future of presidential debates headed (and why so many are stuck in the past).

SIU School of Communication Studies faculty member Dr. Craig Gingrich-Philbrook joins Justin to talk about his recent experience as a participant on a reality television show, how that ties into his teaching of compassionate communication, a brief history of queer performance, expanding the stage through media, and the beauty of inclusiveness in a new television series.

Doctoral student in communication studies Shelby Swafford joins Justin to talk about what exactly performance studies is, how our ideas of gender are constructed from an early age, what it's like to be on a stage all alone baring your soul, attacks on reproductive justice, her personal story of abortion and why she shares it, and a little bit of the best HBO has to offer.

Director of the SIU School of Communication Studies, Dr. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway, joins Justin to talk about what a chair or director at a university does, the value of studying pedagogy in and out of the classroom, how we communicate about disabilities, needs and issues among LGBTQ+ youth, as well as a bit of reality TV.

Our soft-launch Episode O has host Justin Young giving a brief overview of the format of future episodes to come. Communication Studies is a podcast bringing the academic study of communication to everyone.